BBC undercover investigation again highlights Waltham Forest’s appalling food hygiene standards, raising doubts about whether LBWF is carrying out its responsibility for enforcement
It’s a well established fact that Waltham Forest has serious food hygiene problems, being home to, as of September 2024, the highest percentage of food businesses in England and Wales rated zero to two stars on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) zero to five star rating system.
But today the BBC publishes the results of an undercover operation that makes the problem look even worse than so far has been imagined.
Because what the BBC establishes is that, on the ground, fiddling the star system is ‘rife’.
Earlier this year, it visited a number of businesses in the Leyton area, and found that no less than 27, ‘all within a couple of miles of each other’, were publicly misstating their star rating, sometimes drastically.
Some of the examples are almost laughable. One shop prominently displayed a three star rating, though it had actually been rated zero. The BBC report continues:
‘When questioned, a manager assured our reporter: “Don’t worry. Never problem, never nothing”.
However, the shop’s FSA inspection had found filthy conditions and a lack of food safety awareness among staff.
When the BBC visited, we spotted evidence of rodent infestation in the form of a trap, indicating the suspected presence of rats and mice’.
Reacting to these findings, LBWF, which has responsibility for trading standards like the FSA system, claims it closes ‘about 50 businesses each year’ over food hygiene issues.
But it’s clear that, in truth, enforcement action has been lacking.
LBWF spends a large amount of time and money telling residents how lucky they are to live in a borough run by such an enlightened council.
The BBC report once again presents a sobering corrective, and demonstrates the importance of real research as opposed to rhetoric and spin.
PS the BBC report is here:
